When Joel Embiid is healthy and on the court, he is one of the most formidable forces in the entire NBA as was proved by his 31 games of action last season. He has the ability to anchor a team in the lane and also boasts a sweet outside stroke which makes him the ideal modern center.

Before Embiid, there were a plethora of legendary centers that played for the Philadelphia 76ers, most recently Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo made a name for himself with his stifling interior defense and ability to swat shots with his incredible rim protection.

Along with this, both centers have something else in common: they are two of the elite talents to hail from Africa. When asked about Embiid, Mutombo has high praise for the young big, saying he may be better than he ever was on the offensive end, but that he doesn’t see Embiid reaching his level of Shot Blocking. Following from ESPN’s Marc Spears:

“I love that kid. He’s very talented. I think he is more talented than me at that age when I came into the NBA. One thing he can’t do better than me is he can’t block shots like I do. I know he is watching a lot of my tapes and a lot of my videos”

If Embiid is healthy, how good can he be?

“Supergood. Maybe better than me. Offensively, he is so much further ahead than so many of us that have come from the continent of Africa. More than many big men have defensively proven themselves in the NBA. There is nothing we can say about that.

The kid can rebound. He can block shots. I just want him to stay healthy and play the game, because he does love basketball.”

Clearly, Mutombo respects Embiid’s game greatly and rightfully so. Though we only have a small sample size to go off of, Embiid is already one of the better centers in the NBA and his potential is limitless.

Mutombo’s shot blocking abilities are some of the best the world has ever seen and while Joel Embiid himself is a top tier rim protector, Mutombo doesn’t see him reaching his threshold. If Embiid can stay healthy, look for him to cement his reputation as a full-blown star and for the Sixers to be an exciting young team in the depleted Eastern Conference.

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